Letters

Planners should focus on more important issues

The night of Oct. 25, I had the distinct displeasure of listening to and watching the Saratoga Planning Commission and, I think, council members discussing permits for new homes in Saratoga. They discussed the height of the peak of a roof and the use of a full basement for a home. I realize that I could have turned it off, but I was amazed that grown-up adults would partake in such ridiculous discussions.

When a home design is within the limits of the size and footprint needs, why do these control freaks have to interfere in the lives of the people who are about to pay about $40,000 or more in taxes? Why can't these people get into the serious problems of our city like the traffic and the lack of stop signs and stop lights at critical locations to keep the commuters from filling up Saratoga Avenue, Cox Avenue and other previously quiet streets by making the commute unattractive on these streets?

There is a curve on Pierce Road, the last one before Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, and speeders all the time go off the road at this curve and endanger the lives of our children. How about a stop sign to slow them down?

How about the hump on Fruitvale Avenue that attracts the new young drivers to run fast downhill to get the thrill of a short free fall. Not too long ago a new driver free fell on that street and killed herself and one other wonderful child.

Let's get our values where they belong and stop messing with basements and other insignificant details of people's homes, by making our city as safe as possible for all of us.

Mort Mann
Mallory Court

As commission chair, Page has not fostered teamwork

In the Oct. 25 issue of the Saratoga News, Chuck Page wrote that his primary qualification for the Saratoga City Council is years of experience building teams and working with teams. If that is the case, why is there no teamwork on the planning commission? One obvious reason is that as chairman of the planning commission, Mr. Page has done nothing to encourage or build teamwork.

At the start of his tenure as chairman, he circulated a questionnaire asking if each commissioner would support a policy requiring that each member of the commission always be referred to as "Commissioner." That has been the sum total of his efforts toward teamwork.

When members of the planning commission are snide to each other or are nasty to members of the public appearing before the commission, Mr. Page exhibits no leadership.

Mr. Page moved to Saratoga from Los Angeles three or four years ago. Perhaps this community's standards for teamwork and leadership are somewhat higher than may be the case in Southern California.

James Stuart
Allendale Avenue

Fire commissioners are misusing power

I need to apologize to those in attendance at the Oct. 26 fire commissioner's meeting. My remark to Commissioner Geddes was blunt and certainly out of the general context of discussion. Fortunately, I was educated in Saratoga, not Mayberry, so I know the difference between arrogant, belittling rhetoric and facetious commentary.

I'm afraid I could not sit by quietly and let Commissioner Geddes show such contempt and disregard for the opinions and honest concerns of the people who put him in office. They apparently have their own agenda to follow with little, or no, regard for the concerns of the community, or for the Saratoga firefighters. This situation is unacceptable.

The fire commission has complete control over the running of the fire department, which is directly related to the quality and quantity of our emergency service programs. The commission is an independent entity responsible only to itself. There is no other group or agency overseeing or controlling its actions. We as the community within the fire district are directly responsible for this situation.

We have blindly gone to the poles year after year, assuming everything was fine with the fire department. Well, it's not! Over the years we've created a management system with absolute power. At this point in time the commissioners are misusing their power in a manner that could be detrimental to the community.

Our faith in these people was so great that we gave them $6 million with negligible information on how it is to be spent.

Did we expect the eminent domain of private property at below-market value? Were we given a satisfactory reason for the purchase in the first place? The answer to both questions is no. The Saratoga Fire Fighters (Local 3875) backed the bond issue in good faith, assuming that the possibility of merging with the Central Fire District would be seriously considered by the commissioners. Their actions over the last few months indicate that they never intended to support this merger.

As the facts come out, it is becoming obvious that if Saratoga consolidated with the county, our service coverage would be far greater and more rapid at a lesser cost to the community. The commissioners refuse to concede this possibility, and at this stage of litigation they refuse to discuss these matters in an open forum as of Oct. 29.

It is time the residents of Saratoga regain control of the fire department by supporting the Saratoga firefighters in their desire to join Santa Clara County Fire District. It will, without a doubt, greatly benefit the safety of our city and hillsides.

David Dolloff
Sigal Drive

Saratogans are helping to make a difference

I want to express my profound gratitude to all of the Saratoga residents who demonstrated their commitment to the community's health by walking in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Saratoga residents joined thousands of others from throughout the Bay Area at the Oct. 22 event.

Together, 11,000 participants raised $906,000 to support breast cancer research and advocacy, as well as local breast-health programs. These include Reach to Recovery, through which newly diagnosed women are matched with a survivor who provides practical advice and emotional support; and Tell-A-Friend, through which women call their friends and family members over age 40 who haven't had a mammogram and encourage them to get one. One in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, so such programs are likely to benefit someone close to each of us.

None of this would have been possible without the energy and enthusiasm of walkers from cities throughout the Bay Area. The success of the event is a testament to the power of committed, concerned individuals to make our community an even better place to live. Again, on behalf of the American Cancer Society, thank you, Saratoga. You are truly helping to make a difference!

Julie Shaver
Cancer Control Director
Silicon Valley Region

College choice does not reflect student's worth

The recent "Speak Out" column by Saratoga High School senior Sheeva Ghassemi addressed an issue that relates directly to our central focus this year. Rather than disputing some of the facts of her letter, I feel it is important to offer our school's thoughts.

There is a constellation of forces within society that add stress to a student's high school life. This year we are making a more determined effort to use every opportunity such as New Parent Night in August, Back to School Night, parent and student guidance meetings and staff meetings to dispel the widely held societal perception that college selection reflects a student's worth. The following is a letter sent six weeks ago to SHS families in my September Principal's Newsletter.

Dear Parents: This summer I thought a great deal about our school and community, particularly the quality of our students' lives in Saratoga. This letter is an attempt to offer my perspective regarding some of the pressures facing our students.

I believe that our students live in a culture of competitiveness. There is literally a constellation of forces driving this culture--the emphasis on achievement in our society, the desire on the part of our parents to see their students go to fine colleges and universities, demographic forces that mean more high school graduates will be "competing" for the same number of spaces in elite universities, and the fact that we live in, as my Texan friend calls it, "ground-zero of capitalism," with all of its competitive pressures.

There are other pressures that our students face. Our personal success and material wealth (I am speaking generally here) give our students so many opportunities and a safety net where they never suffer from want or have to go without. My parents' central focus was to give us greater opportunities than they possessed. Perhaps your experience was similar. What will our children do for an encore? In a community filled with such talented, driven people, what can our students do that we have not done?

I have spoken with so many parents and friends who are concerned about where their students will go to college. They are deeply worried about whether their child will get into a good college. Our students take courses, put in hours of study, participate in activities, and even perform community service not because they enjoy it but because it is seen as a means to an end. I worry that, when the college race is over and our students have graduated, they will not have the passions that give meaning to life.

All of this adds to the stress. In my discussions with parents, I often hear about what a stressful place some of our students find Saratoga High School. During this year our staff will be engaging in discussions about this issue. However, it is an issue larger than just school. We need to all work together. The most important role, I believe, is that of parents.

All of us want to see our children succeed. But what does success mean? In some societies, high school is a time of high stakes. For my father, for example, who grew up in Ireland, the exit exams for high school meant the difference between going to college or not. One of the greatest strengths of our educational system and our country is that it is a society of second, third, and fourth chances. To take an extreme stance, students can do horribly in high school, go to work, go back to school at a community college, go to college (or not go to college at all!) and still be enormously successful. All of us know and many of you work with people who attended colleges we never heard of and are now leaders in their field.

There are two questions that I pose to you as a parent. First, are you placing more emphasis on where your student will attend college and the "quality" of that school than this decision warrants terms of their long-term happiness? This begs a second and perhaps more profound question: What do you really want for your children? These are very, very difficult issues. Yet they are what really matters for our students--and our children. They are what I struggle with as a parent.

All of us have our own permutations and life experiences that we will bring. I always benefit as a parent and educator from the wisdom I gain from you and your work with your remarkable children. I believe that there are fewer more important issues in our community. I invite your thoughts.

Many of you have "healthy" attitudes in this area and I have learned much as a principal and a parent from your example. I hope that you will share your wisdom in this area.

Kevin Skelly
Principal, Saratoga High School

City's septic abatement program makes no sense

The septic system abatement ordinance now in effect needs to be reviewed. Instead of reducing pollution, it adds millions of gallons of pollution to our already polluted bay and shore line.

There is no evidence that the septic systems in Saratoga have ever polluted the underground water supply. San Jose Water Company has been carefully monitoring the water supply, running as many as 1,700 tests a year to ensure water purity.

The septic systems are now providing needed moisture and nutrients for our valuable trees. If the septic systems are eliminated, this environmental benefit will be lost and the sewage that was being processed by the septic systems will ultimately be dumped into the bay.

I do not understand the logic that was used to conclude that only septic systems within 200 feet of a sewer line are a threat to the environment. If there is a problem, it won't be solved by removing some of Saratoga's septic systems.

The estimated cost of $20,000 is, in many instances, only half of the cost. In my case, I would have to cash in securities yielding 9 percent. Over 10 years this amount totals $18,000. In addition, a usage fee of $200 a year must be paid. Over the next 10 years this will come to $2,000 for a grand total of $40,000.

I recently received a campaign pamphlet in which Mayor Bogosian cited the settlement of the Saratoga Creek lawsuit as one of his major accomplishments. I am sure the property owners who got saddled with millions of dollars in conversion costs wouldn't consider this much of an accomplishment.

The 216 property owners affected by this ordinance are being mauled with an estimated $7 million financial burden and then clubbed with a lien on their property if they do not comply. These are the elderly, living on a fixed income and whose taxes for the past 20 to 50 years have gone into making Saratoga what it is today.

I would specifically like to know the justification for actions taken or not taken with regard to this issue, and the reasoning and logic used to reach these conclusions.

Mayor Bogosian's iron-handed tactics and his unwillingness to work toward a reasonable solution on this matter are unacceptable. This arrogant style of governing does not belong in a democracy.

Spending approximately $7 million to add more pollution to California's shoreline is ridiculous. The threat to the environment is not the septic systems in Saratoga, it is the Saratoga City Council.

Robert Larson
Park Drive

WVC thanks Saratoga for continued support

As a Trustee I would like to thank the Saratoga community for their help and support of the West Valley-Mission Community College District Advancement Foundation. We are very grateful for the assistance we have received this year. We are under way with several major facilities projects to enhance the quality of life for students on both campuses. These projects could not have been realized without community involvement. Although much has been achieved, there still is much to do.

Our district always welcomes support and advice from companies and individuals in this important partnership to build educational excellence. We must all play a role in the improvement of our schools to realize a better future for our children. Through education, we can sustain the high level of prosperity we enjoy in Silicon Valley.

Silicon Valley serves as a major economic engine powering our national economy. We must continue to keep the fire burning bright in the engine of opportunity. Our investment in education will serve as a key component in determining whether we move forward as a society.

The task ahead is to begin in earnest planting the educational seeds of opportunity, through business, community, investment and student mentoring. In this way, the succeeding students will begin to bear the fruit of full preparation necessary to achieve in the highly competitive world economy.

Frank Jewett
Trustee West Valley-Mission Community College District

Community College is a good choice for some

I say "amen" to Sheeva Ghassemi's decision that she writes about in her letter in the Oct. 18 issue of the Saratoga News. Count another vote for your choice to go to a community college first.

It feels like deja vu! The same thing happened to our sons when they decided to opt for community college to complete their general education units and then make a decision as to where to attend a four-year school. They didn't have quite the 4.0 GPAs, such as you do, but they both graduated from high school with honors (over 3.5 GPAs).

And it all worked out; their goals were realized as yours, I'm sure, will be, too. They both graduated near the top of their classes in college and are pleased with their management positions in two Silicon Valley corporations, Intel in Oregon and Sun in Mountain View (and their six figures salaries).

So, Sheeva, you are on the right track. You've learned how to make up your own mind regardless of what others think. I'll bet your parents are very proud of you! YOU GO GIRL!

Marcia Citta
Quito Road

Fire district story gets praise and criticism

We were greatly surprised and disappointed at two elements of your recent coverage of the Saratoga Fire District.

First, you indiscriminately combined two different stories into one article, misleading readers that the two topics were somehow connected. You also reported our comments inaccurately and out of context.

Coverage of the first story about the public outreach efforts of our firefighters appears to be accurate as far as it goes. Unfortunately, you never explain that the Saratoga Fire District has long-standing mutual aide/auto aide agreements with Santa Clara County Fire Departments that enhance fire safety for local residents, while assuring community control of our services. These agreements are reciprocal. When County Fire needed assistance with the Los Gatos hillside fire a few years ago, Saratoga Fire also responded.

Your coverage of the second item was less successful. We routinely are a part of the local planning process to assure that decisions take into account appropriate fire codes. I did not state a position on the alternative proposals for access to a new Sobrato development on Bohlman Road at the Planning Commission meeting because both alternatives allow for safe and efficient access of emergency vehicles.

All of our local leaders are working to assure greater community safety. Saratoga Citizen's commitment to a fire department that provides accessible, responsive local service was demonstrated when voters decided last spring to further modernize our facilities.

Ernest Kraule
Chief, Saratoga Fire District

Sheriff's Report

The Saratoga High School Foundation begins raising funds for an arts and lecture community center

Home sale listings

Obituary: Dr. Arthur Lee Foster

Saratoga Sampler

Sports Briefs

Saratoga High School cross country

Youth basketball registration

Youth baseball signups & clinics